44 Award-Nominated Podcasts & Their Top Rated Episodes

In 2 days, the Academy of Podcasters will be handing out awards for outstanding quality in 18 podcasting categories. Out of the 189 total nominees, 44 of them are currently on Patreon.

Normally, we use the Patreon blog to publish content dedicated to helping creators grow their creative businesses, but today we wanted to do something a little different. To honor these incredible podcasts and the teams behind them, we’ve put together a list of all 44 nominees, to make it super easy for new listeners to check them out.

And to make it even easier to dive in and start listening right now, we’ve teamed up with Podchaser to find the top-rated episode for each podcast. Podchaser is an awesome new website that gives podcast fans a central place to discover and discuss podcasts by allowing fans to rate and review each episode.

If you like The Moth, This American Life or Snap Judgment, take a walk on the wilder side with RISK! Your colorful host Kevin Allison (of the legendary comedy group The State) helms this surprisingly uncensored show where people tell jaw-dropping true stories they never thought they’d dare to share in public. RISK! is hilarious, heart-wrenching and remarkably real. Think you’ve heard it all? Fasten your seatbelt.

In this episode: The 12th compilation of some the best recent tales told on the RISK! podcast.

Imaginary Worlds is a bi-weekly podcast about science fiction and other fantasy genres –– how we create them and why we suspend our disbelief. These are the backstories to our stories.

In this episode: We were promised flying cars but we got Twitter instead. That’s the common complaint against science fiction writers and the visions of the future they presented us in the 20th century. But many sci-fi authors did envision something like the Internet and social media –– and we might be able to learn something about our time from the people who tried to imagine it. Cory Doctorow, Ada Palmer, Jo Walton and Arizona State University professor Ed Finn look at the cyberpunks and their predecessors, and artist Paul St. George talks about why he’s fascinated by a Skype-like machine from the Victorian era. Featuring readings by Erik Bergmann.

Seth Andrews, a former Christian broadcaster and believer for 30 years, ultimately escaped the bonds of superstitious thinking to embrace the more satisfying explanations that science provides. Now host of one of the most popular atheist communities on the internet, Seth brings a polished format, a relaxed environment and a rage-free challenge to the religious beliefs that defined his youth.

In this episode: Apologist Ken Ham and others have declared Donald Trump’s presidency a divine appointment. But is Trump a true representative of the divine, or of the (secular) U.S. Constitution? (This broadcast is the first of a two-part series relating to Trump’s America).

PodCastle is the world’s first audio fantasy magazine. Weekly, they broadcast the best in fantasy short stories, running the gamut from heart-pounding sword and sorcery, to strange surrealist tales, to gritty urban fantasy, to the psychological depth of magical realism. The podcast features authors including Peter Beagle, Benjamin Rosenbaum, Jim C. Hines, and Cat Rambo, among others.

In this episode: Their first ever story was the classic “Come Lady Death” by fantasy giant Peter S. Beagle.

The Bright Sessions is a science fiction podcast that follows a group of therapy patients. But these are not your typical patients – each has a unique supernatural ability. The show documents their struggles and discoveries as well as the motivations of their mysterious therapist, Dr. Bright.

In this episode: Audio from the safe house on Friday, November 11th.

Please be advised this episode contains the aftermath of violence, discussions of self harm, and intense psychological distress.

The Black Tapes is a weekly podcast from the creators of Pacific Northwest Stories, and is hosted by Alex Reagan. The Black Tapes Podcast is a serialized docudrama about one journalist’s search for truth, her subject’s mysterious past, and the literal and figurative ghosts that haunt them both. Do you believe?

In this episode: A voice from the past leads Alex deeper into the mysterious Order of the Ceonophus, a cryptic message brings us to an old hotel in Victoria, Canada, and Dr. Strand’s Black Tapes get personal.

On election night, two-term president Oliver Pierce watches in disbelief from the White House as Charles Dunwalke wins a controversial electoral college victory. With only 73 days before Dunwalke’s inauguration, president Pierce makes a secret decision to act, with historic and possibly catastrophic consequences.

In this episode: As a most unexpected election night unfolds, president Oliver Pierce brings some into the loop and cuts others out as he ponders his next move. Will he ride into the sunset or make the most momentous decision of his career?

Food with a side of science and history. Every other week, co-hosts Cynthia Graber and Nicola Twilley serve up a brand new episode exploring the hidden history and surprising science behind a different food- or farming-related topic, from aquaculture to ancient feasts, from cutlery to chile peppers, and from microbes to Malbec. We interview experts, visit labs, fields, and archaeological digs, and generally have lots of fun while discovering new ways to think about and understand the world through food.

In this episode: On the surface, it’s just a leafy green herb. Its feathery fronds add a decorative note and a distinctive flavor to dishes across Latin America and Asia, from guacamole to phở. And yet cilantro is the most divisive herb in the kitchen, inspiring both deep dislike and equally deep devotion. What’s the history and science behind these strong reactions—and can cilantro disgust ever be overcome?

Every week, John Rubio and his co-hosts Grant Davis, Anastacia Kelly, and Mike Lambert, meet to taste, discuss, and judge five different beers from all over the world. Part beer appreciation, part drunken comedy, it’s the only beer podcast the A.V. Club calls, “consistently illuminating and amusing.”

In this episode: Half funky, half hoppy, this lineup of beers is a rollercoaster of flavor. Also, Grant has bad luck with phones, Anastacia is an amazing impressionist, Rubio shares a short film recommendation, and we all figure out how to finally kill Mike.

Join us on our weekly podcast as our new group of adventurers learn the ropes in the Dungeons and Dragons universe.

In this episode: Now that we are a part of the seedy resupply element entering Yeenoghu’s terrible town, the gang has to do their best to blend in. We look great. Our gnoll impressions are spot on. Nothing can go wrong. Probably. I mean, it is an evil town of evil people so even if things go correctly, it will be more than a little painful I assume. Okay, bye!

Our goal at Trivial Warfare is to recreate the fun of playing at an awesome pub quiz with your friends. That includes all of the silly banter, clowning on each other, and the drama of trying to figure out the answer to questions you don’t know that only comes when you’re playing games with your crew of friends.

Today’s show features one of the best collections of trivia players we’ve had on the show in a single game. We start with Colby Burnett. Colby is the first and only person to win both the Jeopardy Teachers Tournament and the following year’s Tournament of Champions. Next up is Steve Bahnaman. Simply put, Steve is one of the best quizzers in the world and he proved in 2015 by winning more than $100K on the game show 500 Questions. And last but not least is our own 2016 Listener’s Tournament champion and 2016 Geek Bowl Champion Russ Friedewald. Russ is humble, but don’t let him fool you. In a pub quiz format he’s one of the best players in the world.

Are you a geek? Do you like geeky stuff? Do you like listening to other geeks talk about geeky stuff? Join professional nerds Ryan Scott, Adam Fitch, Justin Haywald, Ryan Higgins, and Alice Liang as they sound off on the latest happenings in the worlds of gaming, film, television, and comics.

Part pub quiz show, part offbeat news, and all awesome. All the time! We here are nuts about trivia. And we are darn sure there are people out there who share our unusual obsession. Do you relish beating your friends at Trivial Pursuit? Do you blab out the answers at the gym when Jeopardy! is on? Then this podcast, fellow trivia nut, is the ultimate mental nutrition for your very big brain. So eat up!

In this episode: Set sail on the H.M.S. Trivia! We’re back with the sea’s rich bounty of quizzes and facts: we got ghost sharks, sea movies, Dead Sea, and sea riddles. And move aside pumpkin spice, make way for sea salt caramel craze! From candles to protein bars, we trace the flavor’s origin from ignition to popularity BOOM. Colin quizzes us about Sea Monkeys, Seabiscuit, and more “sea-words.” And Chris explains how and just why the English breakfast ties into our marine-related topic.

Join ex-game journalists Chris Johnston, Phil Theobald, Greg Sewart and their buddy Mike Phillips as they talk about console/portable/PC games, babies, and the meaning of life.

In this episode:Rich Grisham bails out CJ and Phil from having to do a two-man podcast. Topics include: a new cola beverage, Splatoon 2 is a real good video game, Xbox Game Pass introduces Rich to new games, do reviews matter in the age of streaming, does ARMS have legs (does it matter?), Scottish accents, the games we’re best at, and a bunch of other meandering topics. Join us, won’t you?

Insomnia? Mind racing at night? Worries keeping you up? Tune in for a bedtime story that lets you forget your problems and progressively gets more boring until you fall to sleep. So get in bed, press play, close your eyes, and drift off into dreamland.

In this episode: As the lake rolls, Scoots strolls… down memory lane, of his long intimate relationship with the greatest of the Great Lakes. (Lake talk starts about 12:40)

In this episode: The Australian professional trombonist shares about the mental, emotional and logistical rigors of making a living as a classical musician and some insights into what drove him (and his peers) to such obsessive lengths. We get a peek behind the curtain into the dysfunction and sickness that can fester in such a high-pressure workplace and the poor coping mechanisms used by people who were raised to stuff emotions and just achieve to receive love. We touch on depression, anxiety, therapy, people pleasing, perfectionism, numbness and difficulty with intimacy. Turns out Mozart in the Jungle and Whiplash are not that far off.

Free exercise, nutrition, weight loss, triathlon and wellness advice from BenGreenfieldFitness.com! Tune in to the latest health, fitness and multi-sport research, non run-of-the-mill interviews with exercise and medicine professionals, and new cutting-edge content from the top personal trainer and wellness coach in the nation. Exercise, eat, swim, bike, run and live better.

In this episode: If you want to be fully equipped to deal with any trauma that might land you in a modern hospital industry or having to deal with close-minded physicians and caretakers, this podcast is a must-listen for you.

Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus discuss living a meaningful life with less.

In this episode: Joshua & Ryan visit Cleveland, and they answer the following questions: What advice do you have for minimalists who have loved ones that prefer to receive physical gifts? What is the best way to explain to a potential partner that you’re a minimalist? What advice do you have for those that want to adopt minimalism into their lives, but fear the changes? How do you manage the negative feedback that inevitably comes with failure? What is your advice to minimalists struggling to reconcile their personal values and beliefs that conflict with their professional values and beliefs? As minimalists, what are you saving your money for now?

Lore is a bi-weekly podcast (and upcoming TV show) about the dark historical tales that fuel our modern superstitions. Each episode explores the world of mysterious creatures, tragic events, and unusual places. Because sometimes the truth is more frightening than fiction.

In this episode: In 1582, the German town of Bedburg was ravaged by a violent and mysterious creature. After untold bloodshed, the townsfolk took up arms and hunted the monster down. What they found was something out of our deepest nightmares, and entirely too close to home.

The extraordinary history of the ordinary. Do you like trivia and fun facts? Have you lost hours to Wikipedia rabbit holes? Do you ever wonder about the history of everyday things in your world? The Story Behind is the show for you! Warning: Your friends might tire of you starting sentences with, “I learned on a podcast …”

In this episode: In 1994, a movie came along about a man of low intelligence who happens to hit a few lucky breaks, weaving himself in and out of the timeline of American history, and into the hearts of millions of movie-goers. That man was Forrest. Forrest Gump. In this episode, we’ll be talking about the song that seemed to be inspired when Forrest Gump and John Lennon appeared on the Dick Cavett Show.

On the Stories Podcast, we perform a new story for your children every week. The stories range from retellings of fairy tales like Snow White to classic stories like Peter Rabbit and even completely original works. Everything is G rated and safe for all ages. The perfect kids podcast for imaginative families. Whether you’re driving with your children or just want to limit your kids’ screen time, Stories Podcast delivers entertainment that kids and parents alike will love.

In this episode: A fun take on the classic story of the Three Little Pigs! Fun songs throughout and a great final message.

Join author, speaker and Disney expert Lou Mongello on this award-winning Disney podcast for Walt Disney World news, vacation planning, trivia, history, interviews with Disney Imagineers, special guests and more. Have fun with some trivia and explore the history of Walt Disney World.

In this episode: The story of how Walt Disney’s first idea for a haunted house in Disneyland came to become the legendary Haunted Mansion is a long, circuitous one, and reads like a Hollywood movie. It’s filled with mystery, suspense, a cast of interesting (and often conflicting) characters, laughter, a little bit of magic, and a payoff at the end that still entertains and thrills guests decades later.

Exploring stories of science discovery. Tumble is a science podcast created to be enjoyed by the entire family. Hosted & produced by Lindsay Patterson (science journalist) & Marshall Escamilla (teacher).

In this episode: Who is the oldest primate, and is it our great-great-great grandfather? Listener Elena’s question takes us into a laboratory chock full of fossils, and brings us back to the impact that killed most of the dinosaurs. Anthropologist Chris Kirk introduces us to our very ancient – and very tiny – ancestors.

If you love Celtic music, then welcome to Irish & Celtic Music Podcast. Each week, you’ll receive an hour-long award-winning Celtic radio show featuring some of the best independent Irish & Celtic music, and all 100% FREE! It is one of the top music podcasts on iTunes and receives over 10,000 downloads of each show each and every week.

In this episode: Grinning Beggar is taking over the show with Celtic punk from The Biblecode Sundays, The Pourmen, California Celts, McScallywag, Nevermind Nessie, The O’Reillys and the Paddyhats, Firkin, SMZB, The Wakes, Handsome Young Strangers, Black Water County, Hoist The Colors, The Peelers, In For a Penny.

Coverville presents the best in cover songs every week, showcasing independent artists and labels, with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC licensing.

In this episode: Three cover stories for three guys who were all born within 2 days (update: well, and one year) of each other: Don Henley of the Eagles, Carlos Santana and Cat Stevens. And I try scrambling covers of and by all three artists instead of doing sets for each artist – not sure if I prefer it, but hey, if you can’t experiment with a show after doing almost 1200 of them, when can you do it? (93 minutes)

Coverville presents the best in cover songs every week, showcasing independent artists and labels, with ASCAP, BMI and SESAC licensing.

In this episode: What is Puerto Rico? Many Americans – if not most – are unaware that Puerto Rico is a part of the United States. In this episode, learn the history of our scandalous treatment of the US citizens living in Puerto Rico and explore how Puerto Rico’s past foreshadowed the United States’ present… and possibly our future.

Join neuroscientist, philosopher, and best-selling author Sam Harris as he explores important and controversial questions about the human mind, society, and current events. Sam Harris is the author of five New York Times bestsellers. His books include The End of Faith, Letter to a Christian Nation, The Moral Landscape, Free Will, Lying, Waking Up, and Islam and the Future of Tolerance (with Maajid Nawaz). The End of Faith won the 2005 PEN Award for Nonfiction. His writing and public lectures cover a wide range of topics—neuroscience, moral philosophy, religion, meditation practice, human violence, rationality—but generally focus on how a growing understanding of ourselves and the world is changing our sense of how we should live. Sam Harris received a degree in philosophy from Stanford University and a Ph.D. in neuroscience from UCLA.

In this episode: Sam Harris speaks with Geoffrey West about how biological and social systems scale, the significance of fractals, the prospects of radically extending human life, the concept of “emergence” in complex systems, the importance of cities, the necessity for continuous innovation, and other topics.

In this episode: Is Planet NASCAR governed by the same laws of physics as the rest of Planet Earth? You wouldn’t know it from some of the responses to Neil deGrasse Tyson’s tweets about the sport. Gary O’Reilly and Chuck Nice bring Neil into the studio to unpack the physics in his NASCAR tweets.

Astronomy Cast brings you a weekly fact-based journey through the cosmos.

In this episode: Like most of us, you probably want to know what it would be like to travel to space. Maybe not to live, but just to visit. You want to be a space tourist. Good news, there are a bunch of companies working hard to give you the opportunity to fly to space. How long until you can buy a ticket?

You Are Not So Smart is a celebration of self delusion that explores topics related to cognitive biases, heuristics, and logical fallacies. David McRaney interviews scientists about their research into how the mind works, and then he eats a cookie.

In this episode: psychologist Per Espen Stoknes discusses his book: What We Think About When We Try Not to Think About Global Warming. Stoknes has developed a strategy for science communicators who find themselves confronted with climate change deniers who aren’t swayed by facts and charts. His book presents a series of psychology-based steps designed to painlessly change people’s minds and avoid the common mistakes scientists tend to make when explaining climate change to laypeople.

Fact is scarier than fiction. Casefile, a new true crime podcast. Each episode explores a new case. We cover the shocking, the terrifying, the strange, and the unsolved.

In this episode: Part 3 began with an emergency press conference in mid-1977. A composite sketch, as well as a physical and psychological profile of the East Area Rapist, was released. The public were warned to be vigilant. The East Area Rapist enjoyed communicating with police, the press and survivors. In August 77, the Sacramento County Sherriff’s Office received a letter, known as the “afraid letter”

Sword and Scale is not just a podcast about murder, it’s about people and their capacity for extreme evil. Instead of just providing a detailed rundown of murderous events, Sword and Scale use immersive audio and storytelling to bring listeners the timely controversial topics that affect our way of thinking, sometimes leading us down paths, which often end horribly.

In this episode: Randy Stair secretly identified as a female for years. She ditched her given name for the pseudonym Andrew Blaze and also ditched the YouTube channel she had worked on for a large part of her life to pursue animation. The cartoons she created were dark, angst-ridden creations derived from an existing Nickelodeon character that she was infatuated with and believed existed in some otherworldly plain which she planned to be welcomed into after murdering three of her coworkers.

Jill and Dick are a married couple who love to drink beer and discuss true crime. Join them at the quiet end of the bar. Dick will bring along an excellent beer from the region where the crime occurred. He will give us a little beer lesson and review before Jill starts off their true crime discussion. The discussions are well-researched and in depth. Dick is a physician and often shares his medical expertise at Jill’s urging. The conversational nature of this podcast will have you talking back to your smart phone.

In this episode: The story of Lisa Irwin, who went missing when she was just 10 months old, has riveted the nation and left behind unanswered questions. How does a 10-month old infant disappear from her crib, never to be seen again? The police have focused on Lisa’s mother Deborah although there was plenty of evidence pointing to an abduction.

Conversations about Creating a Life Worth Living- Named Best of 2014 by iTunes. Open minded discussions of habits, meditation, wisdom, depression, anxiety, happiness, psychology, philosophy, and motivation.

In this episode: Most of what we have been told about success is wrong. Learn why judging success by only one metric is a bad idea and why we should be listening to our thoughts from a distance and asking “is this useful?”

Fantasy Football at it’s very best. Say goodbye to the talking heads of Fantasy Football and hello to The Fantasy Footballers. The expert trio of Andy Holloway, Jason Moore, and Mike “The Fantasy Hitman” Wright break down the world of Fantasy Football with astute analysis, strong opinions, and matchup-winning advice you can’t get anywhere else. A high quality and entertaining show that will win you your Fantasy Football league –– in style. The ONE Fantasy Football Podcast you can’t leave off your roster.

In this episode: Fantasy Football Podcast for May 2nd, 2017. The draft is over! On today’s podcast, we dive into our NFL Draft review, taking a close look at the AFC teams. We go through each division, each team, identifying the big winners and losers from a fantasy football perspective. Prep your redraft, keeper, and dynasty fantasy football teams for 2017 with insights you can only get on the #1 fantasy football podcast. Check out this episode and don’t forget to check out previous episodes as you get ready for the new season.

In this episode: Game of Thrones is in the midst of its seventh season depicting the battle of the fate of Westeros… but who will sit on the iron throne at the end of Game of Thrones: Heroes v. Healers. Hustlers? Rob Cesternino is joined by Josh Wigler and Jon Reed to cast the season and simulate the entire 39 days.

Podcasters: Are you part of a podcast that has been considering using membership as an additional revenue stream? Learn more about how Patreon makes it incredibly easy for podcasters to get started with membership with tools like private RSS feeds, built in CRM, and more:https://www.patreon.com/c/podcasts

Fans: Do you want even more from these podcasts and others like them? Find them on Patreon where many of them are offering bonus content, behind the scenes, and other exclusives for their patrons:https://www.patreon.com/c/podcasts